Intermittent no start condition

[ss3011]

I may have asked this before, but does the crank trigger supply the signal for the injectors, or is it the Opti-Spark ? My DFI box used the Opti-Spark for the injector signal, and the crank trigger for the ignition.

[John Nechiporchik]

John, battery is brand new.
SS3011, The way I understand it, the tach signal from the MSD fires the ECU and the injectors get the signal from the ECU....I may be wrong on this....cause I don't understand all the intricacies of this unit.
I spoke with an Accell dealer in Alabama....He suggested isolating the ground and running it all the way to the negative terminal on the battery.I did this today.....no start.
I'm pulling my hair out!!

John

[countrypuppy4865]

I don't know if you are considering updating, but if you are I highly recommend calling David Page at FAST. He can get you hooked up with a Fast system.

[ss3011]

Why I ask about what triggers the fuel injectors is the Opti-Spark has a connector that goes into the top of the cover, opposite side from the coil wire. Is there a connector attached to that terminal ? Should be a 3 or 4 wire connector.

[John Nechiporchik]

SS 3011, I just checked...There is NO connector going into that slot on the cap.

[John Nechiporchik]

Cooter, I will look into the FAST system as well as BIG STUFF.
I think as a last ditch effort, I'll borrow a known good coil and give it one last try before I conclude it is without a doubt, the ECU.

Carburetors are starting to look real good!!!!(LOL)

[Ed Wright]

I would strongly recommend the FAST.

[John Nechiporchik]

If and when I have to replace the Accell, How big of a task is it to switch to the FAST?
Does it come programmed with a base tune-up, or is it a start from scratch?

[Ed Wright]

It comes with several base tune ups. Pick one close to what you have, and program it with that.

[Rich Biebel]

Originally Posted by John Boland

The battery is something to consider before you spend real money. It could be failing in a way that it is generating electrical noise.

This is just not true and I have no idea why you would think this could be true....

A Battery stores energy.....and is a DC device...it has no components that can create noise and this mans' problem is either a wire connection issue or his ECU is at fault.....

I had an Accel Gen VII ECU with a piggybacked add on datalogger in my '97 LT-1 Firebird.....It is probably still in that car and the car was number 2 in Division 1 last year....narrowly losing the Division title....

I ran it as I mentioned earlier.....with a Crank Triggger that ran outside of the Accel box.....and that is what was mentioned here as how this problem car is run.....The fuel pump and ignition run independent of the ECU......The ECU needs Battery connections.....and a switched B+ to turn it on.....It also needs a Tach signal from the ignition box.....

If the ignition spark was confirmed to be there when the engine was not starting and the Noid light showed NO light at that time.....the problem is the ECU or the wiring that connects to the ECU to signal it to run.....

Spark is useless without fuel...and the injectors need the ECU to turn them on.....

The Optispark is not used...and the distributer is in there just to send the spark out from the coil.......just like any crank trigger fired race engine.....

Sorry if I sould bitchy but too many cooks spoil the pot....and when I see someone suggesting that the battery is causing this problem I get a little cranky.....LOL


If you want to really satisfy yourself as to what the problem is...

When the engine is in the no start condition.....spray carb cleaner in the Throttle body while someone else cranks it and if you are able to get it to fire or even run with a steady stream of cleaner going in the t-body.........you have proved it is a lack of fuel....